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Changes that the progressive era brought
Changes that the progressive era brought
How does the progressive era affect us today
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The progressive reform movement started when people decided to take a stand against the things caused by industrialism, corruption, etc. There were many reforms people were a part of such as women’s suffrage, clean government, labor laws, milk pasteurization, and many more. (Document eight) However just like any other debate there are multiple different ways people describe the progressive reform movement. Many people like Senator Root believe the progressive movement began to readjust society (Document one). He also believed the government should be readjust laws as society started to change. He addressed that urban development and industrialization caused a boom in business and population, which resulted in the need for increased employment …show more content…
In Wilson's inaugural address he stated that the main priority should be to maintain, cleanse, reconsider, and correct evil. He believed that the only way to readjust society, as Senator Root said in document one, would be to keep the peace. Which would result in the creation of world peace movements. World peace movements were one of the few ways people could stand up to fight against war and corruption. Wilson and Root shared a lot of the same ideas when it came to why the progressive movement began. One idea Wilson had that Root did not directly address was the idea of cleansing the government. Cleansing the government and the people was such common belief during progressivism that they created clean government reforms. People like Woodrow Wilson, Senator Beveridge, John Spargo, and Lincoln Steffens all stated some of the same ideas on how to cleanse the government and how critical it is to do so. This idea could be used as a major reason as to why the progressive reform was …show more content…
Ida’s stories were inspired by her dad struggle he had with his wooden tank for oil company (Document ten). His business was rather successful until John D. Rockefeller forced him out of business unfairly. Her writings in the magazine inspired many people to go against John D. Rockefeller and in result congress passed trust laws. In the end Ida’s publications took Rockefeller's business down and helped prevent anymore from occurring. Many reforms like women suffrage, labor rights, etc were focused on ethics. A majority of muckrakers like John Spargo, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens were promoting God into their reforms. They found their outlooks on the reform through Christianity. John Spargo was claimed to be a socialist muckraker. However he denied being a socialist and explained how he may have the qualities of a socialist however he just wanted to maintain Christian principles. He believed that honesty, humanitarianism, and loving thy neighbor were all important aspects in life. In this case you may see people like John Spargo being a part of reforms such as social gospel and world peace movement. Christianity was a major part in what John Spargo was hoping to
On January 8, 1918 Wilson presented to Congress his speech The Fourteen Points. This was a plan for freedom and peace after the war (http://www.angelfire.com/in3/wilson/wilson.html). Without going into details of the entire Fourteen Points, a quote from u-s-history.com list the following:
...’s suffrage and more social welfare programs. Progressivism focused on eliminating practices harmful to farmers, workers, tenement dwellers, and consumers by expanding government regulation over the economy. They wanted to government to help make it easier for people have more control over their lives. Without the populist the progressive movement would have never been able to complete so many accomplishments. Progressive party did not last but its goals, similar to the populist goals, become influential in the future. The progressive movement was overall a more overcoming movement. It took the populist ideals and influenced them in order to become successful during the progressive movement rather then in the populist. If the populist had an expanded argument rather then just based on farmers then they could have been more successful and setting out their goals.
Roosevelt and Wilson were both strong believers in Progressivism. The Progressive movement was time of eliminating corruption and reform. Roosevelt wanted a stronger central government to help the people. He used his position as president as a “bully pulpit”, in that he would influence public opinion through his popularity. Roosevelt often took a more aggressive approach to domestic policy in that he would go against the Old Guard Republicans, whereas Wilson was one to speak directly in front of congress in order to gain their support. Roosevelt became president towards the beginning of the progressive movement, and so he had a harder time trying make reforms than Wilson did. Also, by telling the public that he was only going to run one term, his chances of running for a second term was greatly diminished, which is one of the reasons why Wilson came ahead in the election of 1912. Roosevelt promoted New Nationalism, while Wilson promoted New Freedom. They were very popular presidents in the eyes of the American people. Especially Roosevelt, who liked to vocalize his opinions and open up his private life to them. Throughout the early 1900s, Roosevelt and Wilson both were leaders in the progressive movement, with their own spin on how it should be done. The two presidents altered labor and large businesses, civil rights, and ultimately the role of the federal government.
But Wilson's legacy was not confined to foreign policy. His progressive domestic programs helped stabilize and humanize a huge industrial system, and his success in making the presidency the intellectual and political leader of the American government enabled the United States to deal effectively with the challenges and threats of the modern world. But don't forget the credit of Roosevelt's "New Imperialism. " It became the hallmark of American foreign policy in the new century, positioning America as the leader of the Western alliance.
While Roosevelt believed more in the philosophy of “Speak softly and carry a big stick”, Wilson hoped “to cultivate the friendship and deserve the confidence of the Latin American states” (millercenter.org, n.d.). Given these similarities and differences between these two Progressive presidents, it is easy to see how the idea of “Progress” and Progressivism can mean so many different things, while still encompassing the same general set of ideas and principles. Both men aimed to improve the American economy in a time when corporate monopolization was rampant, however, they both set out to achieve the heavier regulation of corporate monopolies in different ways. Two progressive thinkers, two completely different ways of achieving progress.
Cities and industry grew in growth on the first of January in 1900 which created an influx of the high classes. Andrew Carnegie is a factory owner who was about to sell his steel company, but ended up becoming one of the richest man in the world. However, there was an underside of this whole excitement to earn money and the hope of the American dream. Average earnings were less than $500 a year, but in the unskilled southern workers earned an average of $300 a year. The work hours were 60 hours a week, wages were strained, and horrible child labor. The question is what was the most important problems in America during the early 1900s that needed to be addressed by The Progressive Movement. There are three main reasons: the struggling child labor, women’s voting rights, and
The term Progressivism implies a philosophy that promotes change/reform in the current political, economic, and social aspects of society while conservatism stresses gradual change in society but promotes tradition rather than change. The Progressive movement from 1901 to 1917 worked to improve aspects of society that grew out of problems which occurred during the Industrial Age. The goals of the "Progressives" were to stop monopolies, corruption, inefficiency and social injustices. Both progressive acts and amendments were being passed to deal with social ills, corruption in politics and corporate America. The period from 1901-1917 was more a victory for liberalism, mainly "modern liberalism", than a triumph of conservatism due to the fact that multiple reform movements were occurring in this era changing political, economic, and social aspects in society to protect the rights of the common man.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, the economy was booming, new technology flourished. The rapid industrialization brought achievement to the United States, however, it also caused several social problems. Wealth and power were concentrated in the hands of a few, and poverty and political corruption were widespread. As people became aware of these problems, a new reform group was created. Unlike populism, which had been a group of farmers grown desperate as the economy submerged into depression, the new reform movement arose from the educated middle class. These people were known as the progressives. The Progressive Movement was a movement that aimed at solving political, economic, and social problems. The Progressives were people from the middle class who had confidence that they could achieve social progress through political reform. The Progressives sought after changes and improvements in the society through laws and other federal actions.
The Progressive Era started in 1880 to 1920. Progressive reform started as a way to clean up politics and for social activism. It also exposes corruption within the government, as well as, political machines along with big business bosses. Many progressive reformers wanted to enforce a law that prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages and close down the saloons the progressive reformers started the fight for prohibition. Many reformers wanted to improve railroad system, education, better working conditions, eight-hour workweeks, remove trusts, a safer work environment, as well as, help with women’s suffrage.
Woodrow Wilson advocated for world peace and after his famous Fourteen Points his ideas on how world peace is achieved was pretty obvious. The principles for Wilsonian Idealism are the promotion of democracy, the spread of capitalism, and the opposition of non-intervention. So self-determination and popular sovereignty were almost one in the same for Woodrow Wilson. His Wilsonianist foreign policies were driven by the freedom for a country to advance itself, the ability of the people to determine what happens in their state as well as the freedom of trade. So all of these concepts made up what Wilsonian Idealism
Within the period of 1900-1920, many national reforms were rising to the top as Progressive Era reformers and the federal government heard the voices of the people. The effectiveness of Progressivism is a controversial subject for some, but the future was changed through the events of any actions a president made, the rights of people, and unfair treatment and conditions. This era brings changes to our society that also changes the future of it. These two decades brought forth successful times in bettering America.
The Progressive Movement The progressive movement of the early 20th century has proved to be an intricately confounded conundrum for American historians. Who participated in this movement? What did it accomplish, or fail to accomplish? Was it a movement at all? These are all significant questions that historians have been grappling with for the last 60 years, thus creating a historical dialogue where in their different interpretations interact with each other.
Reformers known as Progressives attempted to undo the problems caused by industrialization. The Progressive movement sought to end the influence of large corporations, provide more rights and benefits to workers, and end the control possessed by party leaders. At the national level, Progressivism centered on defeating the power of large businesses. The Progressive Era was a period in American history in which improving working conditions, exposing corruption, improving the way of life, expanding democracy, and making reforms were the objectives at hand. With the emergence of the Progressive Era, two important figures gradually emerged as well.
Reform provides permanent programs to avoid another depression and to protect citizens against an economic disaster. The Progressive Movement which targeted urban complications, there was a massive disparity between the wealthy and the poor and the goal was to bring equality into the nation. The movement aimed towards removing corruption and including American citizens into the political process. Additionally, to encourage the government to solve the social issues that were occurring in the late 1800’s and early 20th century, all while balancing impartial treatment into the economic matters.
In the first two decades of the twentieth century the national political scene reflected a growing American belief in the ideas of the Progressive movement. This movement was concerned with fundamental social and economic reforms and gained in popularity under two presidents. Yet Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson espoused two different approaches to progressive reform. And each one was able to prevail upon congress to pass legislation in keeping with his own version of the progressive dream. These two people, although they had different principles in mind, had one goal: to make changes to the nation for the better of the people and the country. Setting out to reach this goal, Roosevelt came to be a president of the common man while Wilson became the “better” progressive president.